6 days ago
Not Cierra Ortega, THIS Islander was first to be kicked out from Love Island USA Season 7 over racial slur. Find out who
Love Island USA Season 7 contestant Cierra Ortega made headlines after an old social media post resurfaced, revealing a racial slur targeting the Asian community. The post sparked widespread backlash online, with some users also calling out fellow contestant Huda Mustafa for a similar remark. Eventually, Cierra was removed from the Love Island villa in the latest episode.
However, what many may not know is that Cierra wasn't actually the first islander to be pulled out of the show over a past racial controversy. Shortly after the season premiered, another promising contestant was quietly removed for a similar issue.
Yulissa Escobar, who was among the first ones on the Fiji Villa, was made to exit the show in the second episode. Much like Cierra Ortega, the reason behind her exit wasn't explained by the makers.
It happened after her old videos of her using racial slurs went viral on the internet. In her now-viral videos, she was seen using racial slurs including the N-word, during two different podcast appearances.
The 27-year-old clarified it recently. quoted her saying in a TikTok video, that she "can't share certain things, but I will share the majority of what happened" about her sudden exit.
"So, regular a-- day. I did not wake up in the middle of the night, they didn't get me in the f------ morning. They didn't drag my a-- out of bed," Yulissa said.
Yulissa revealed she was "just starting to have fun" on Love Island USA when she was unexpectedly pulled from the villa. She was called to the front, thinking it was for a confessional, but was instead met by a producer who asked her to remove her mic. "I honestly got scared—I thought something had happened to a family member. I didn't know what was going on. They didn't really tell me anything, they just said, you know, a video resurfaced [on the] internet and it's not looking too good," she reportedly said.
"Honestly, I wasn't even crying or anything, I just wanted to know what was going on."
Producers told her that a resurfaced video online was causing concern but didn't provide details. Isolated in a hotel without her phone, Yulissa said she was "losing my f----- mind because I didn't know what was going on."
After she got her phone back, she saw the clip and said, as reported by the outlet, 'I was like, f---, no. I can't believe people think I'm racist. I mean, I get it, I said a word that I should have not said, but man, I wish I would've never said that."
"It is what it is. I can't go back in time. I am sorry that I said that word."
In a TikTok caption about her exit, Yulissa wrote, "Plot twist: I wasn't dragged out in the dark. I walked out in broad daylight, head high, lashes on."
After her exit, Yulissa issued a public apology on her Instagram account. In a lengthy post on June 6, Yulissa said she wanted to "apologise for using a word I had no right in using."
"In those clips, I used a word I never should've used, a racial slur. I used it ignorantly, not fully understanding the weight, history, or pain behind it," her post read.
"I wasn't trying to be offensive or harmful, but I recognise now that intention doesn't excuse impact. And the impact of that word is real. It's tied to generations of trauma, and it is not mine to use."
Escobar clarified that she 'was speaking casually in conversation, not thinking deeply or critically about what I was saying,' during the podcasts.
"But that doesn't take away from how wrong it was. The truth is, I didn't know better then, but I do now. I've taken the time to reflect, to learn, and to grow from that moment."
Meanwhile, Cierra Ortega is yet to personally react to the controversy.
Her parents issued a statement on her Instagram handle after receiving 'threats, cruel messages' against her and the family.
